Artistic expression, self-worth, and mental health: pathways to dignity

The perspective of this paper is that engagement with creative arts such as music, painting, and sculpture has the potential to enhance the dignity and self-respect of every person, especially those living with mental health problems. It may do so by enabling them to express and transform their experiences of distress and despair. Evidence is presented for the positive impact of artistic expression on mental health. The philosophical, biomedical, and psychological perspectives on the processes by which artistic engagement may enhance dignity are explained. Three examples are presented of the impact of creative arts on dignity and mental health: Joni Mitchell’s song ‘A Case of You’; Frida Kahlo’s painting The Broken Column; and Auguste Rodin’s sculpture The Burghers of Calais. The author shows how engagement with these artistic pieces has enhanced the self-worth, dignity, and mental health of three of his patients, facing psychological abuse, physical and emotional suffering, and imminent death.